Detonating means for fuses



P. wAsoN. DETONATING MEANS FOR FUSES.

APPLICATION FILED FEB. 21| I9II.

1,316,608. Paltendsept. 23,1913.

VII, l'I

I gli tion withrimpact fuses for shells containing.: high explosives, ythough it is not limited to- UNITED STATES PATENT orinon CHARLES P. WATSON, OF PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR T0 WATSON A RMS COMPANY, INC., OF PHILADELPHIA7 PENNSYLVANIA, A CORPORATION OF DELAWARE.

DETONATING MEANS FOR FUSES.

Specification of Letters Patent. ,f Patented Sept. 23, 1919.

Application led February 21, 1917. Serial No. 150,104.

To all whom z5 may concern:

certaiii new and useful Improvements in Detonating Means for Fuses, of which the following is a specification.

fMy invention relates to. means employed.' for detonating charges of explosive, and is designed particularly to beused in connecthis use.

shell that is fired from aV gun with a large charge of high explosive which is detonated' by means ofa device called a fuse or-deto` nator. The fuse usually contains a charge of some high explosive that is notsensitiveV to shock, such as tri-nitro toluol, this charge being in turn ignited or' detonated by a Small charge of an explosive that is in itsv nature sensitive both to heat and shock, fulminate of mercury being most commonly employed for this purpose.v Fulminate of mercury explodes with great violence, and under'ordinary conditions is highly sensitive, and the dangers A.of a premature explosion of a shell are vlargely due to its presence.

heat, orby percussion. A cap or primer the fulminate charge theV -iame from the v s ,t3 7 l l u primer being the immediate exciting agent.

Owing to the dangerous properties of fullminate of mercury, many and ingenious inventions have been made to render safe fuses and shells in which a detonating charge of this material is carried.

It has long been known that if fulminate of mercury be highly compressed, that is by pressure from 5000 to 15000 pounds per square inch, or evenfmore, it loses its dangerous properties to a large degree, and it has been supposed that when compressed about 15000 pounds per square inch it becomes dcad-that is, so inert -that it cannot be exploded by percussion orheat. When thus compressed it will burn, but without explosive effect; and it may be subject to exceedingly rough usage and severe blows without ldanger ofdetonation.

It is readily fired by flame, by`

It has, therefore, been considered that fulminatc of mercury, when thus highly compressed, is unsuitable for use as a detonating charge in fuses or for other similar I have discovered, however, that fulminate 'ofmcrcury when highly4 compressed so as to be in condition to be handled with comparative safety, as from 10,000 to 15,000

pounds per Square inch, oi` even more highly, may .be fired or detonated with great certainty by theuse of a properly constructed firing pin; -and the results which I have obtained are entirely satisfactory and re- It is now the common practice to load the..`

markable in -their effectiveness. Thus I have Vfound that if a charge of highly compressed fulminate of mercury be acted upon by a firing pin having a sharp vpoint that will readily puncture'such charge of explosive, and-'having also sharp edges leading from the point of said ring pin, such as would be formed by sharpening a square, triangular, or other polygonal rod to a'sharp point, the compressed explosive charge is detonated.

I have made many experiments and obtained by the means Stated uniformly good results and instant and violent deton'ations of the compressed charges.v In my experiments I have attempted to detonate or explode fulminate of mercury highly compressed as described, by means of firing pins, the ends of rwhich were fla-t, and by means of ring pins the ends of which were rounded or blunt, and the results have been most` unsatisfactory, either no detonat-ions whatever taking place, or if any were secured, they were uncertain, more failures than successful lirings occurring.

I have also discovered, as the result of numerous experiments, that while a round or blunt ended firing pin operates successfully with fulminate of mercury which is but slightly compressed, as, say, to about 300 pounds per square inch, a sharp pointed ring pin does not work well with charges of fulininate of mercury thus lightly compressed.

In the use of my invention it becomes unnecessary to use a cap ory primer as a means for 'firing the Vdetonating charge of sensitive explosive, as the firing pin punctures and engages directly with the highly compressed mass of explosive itself. A shell relatively safe, charge of fulminate of mercharge of Ycompressed fulminateof mercury will withstand. Y v e My experiments lead ine to believe that it 1s only when a highly compressed, and'hence cury is pierced by a' firing pin such as I have describedfthat it detonates. When, however, it is thus'detonated, it operates with exceed-YV Y ing violence and quickness i'farbeyondi that of' explosives uncompressed, orf but slightly f compressed. Y

' My inventionY may 'be practised in. many differentways. f1 ordinarily prefer to comi press the charge of detonating explosive within small metal container of sutdcient strength, the end ofwhich is VYleft open exyceptrfor a thin cover or closing cap of some kind. This container is then, Lat the instant detonation of the charge is desired, brought into 'coperative relationship with 'a firing *pin of suitable'gconstruction, either through the movingfofithe firing pin, the container for the explosive charge beingY stationary, or; kthrough a movement ofy the container, the

pin being stationary, or through the'simuiltane/ous movements of each toward the other, so that the pin isc-ansed toVV puncture the charge of compressed explosive, piercing the closing cap, or even the wall of the con-V tainer so doing. i In the 'accompanying drawings I have illustrated one form of my invention. Rei

fferring to such drawings,

Figure Y1 is a longitudinal view of a portion of a fuse provided with my invention.

Fig. 2 is a transverse sectional view taken v.

on the line II' II of ig. 1, the parts being enlarged.

Figs. 3 and 4L are different'forms of the iringgipin when constructed so as Yto adapt them to be moved to engagement withvthe detonating charge of` compressed explosive.

for a charge of compressed explosive.

Fig. 6 isa sectional view conventionally representingfa press for loading the containers with the explosive. l

Fig. 7 is view of the `container after it has been loaded or removed fromehe press,

and with'the closing cap in placeV but not confined.

Fig. Y8y is an end viewl of the completed container, the open'end of the container be-V ing crimped over the edge yof the cap to hold it in. piace.

9 illustrates another form of the r-v v ing pin from thatl shown in the other views.

In Fig. 1 I have illustrated my invention Fig. 5 is a longitudinal view of a container applied to a deton'ator having the general features iof construction illustrated in my Patent 13,197,414 of September, 1916. Re ferring to this view, 2 designates the main body of the4 deton'ator, '3 the chamber in which is located the booster charge, and 4 the chamber in which is located the detonating 'charge of compressed sensitive explosive. A partition n5 separates these chambers, and through this partition is a perforation Extending from .the partition into the chamber 3, and preferably integral with lthe partition, isa tube 7 The wallso-f the perfo-ration 6 and the tube 7 constitute the runway for the, ycapsule 8, containing the 1highly Icompressed charge of fulminate of vmercury or other sensitive Vdetonating explosive. The `capsule 8 is 4seated in a cham- -bered plug 9.' A valve device 10 is arrangedVV to cover theopening of thepassage 6,*on;

the side toward the chamber fl.Y The nature of this valvev device is quiteimmaterial so far as this vpresent invention is concerned, that represented being similar to the valve shown in my aforesaid patent and arranged to moveso toY open the runway. for the passage of the capsule 8 'by the actlion of centrifugal force developed by therotation of thel shell when in Vflight. Y Y i 1'1 designates the firing pin. In the form of invention represented in Fig. 1, it is carried at the forward end of the tube'7. This pin is pointed and formed with a series of'edges 12, Vextending from the point to the base. The form `of the pin represented in Fig. is ysquare in cross section, and this Yis the form that I have found to be entirely satisfactory, "and therefore prefer to use. However, pins of other forms mayT be used .Y 'if they have the characteristics 1nentioned-l namely, pointed end that will pierce the mass of compressedfexplosive and edges eX- tend-ing from the pointtoward the base of the pin. In Fig. Il thepin Shown is tri-angu- -lar in cross section, and it is apparent, from what has been said, that other forms than those mentioned may be used 'andwill readily suggest themselves to those skilled in the art. i l

In the arrangement shown `in Fig. 1,'the firing pin held stationary, relative to the other partsgof the fuse and the container or capsule carrying thel .charge of compressed detenating explosive is movable. .i By means, notshown in the drawings, and @which may be of `a widelyvaried character, the capsule is projected forward andi toward the firing pin at the instant the explosion of the shell is desired, `as instan-ce fupon ,impact thereof with the target. I'have represented fa charge of black powder 13, which is fired by any suitable ,mechanisnn as being the propelling means for urging the capsule into the runway and toward the firing pin.

The positions of the capsule or container l 8 -and the lirin'g'pin might be reversed, as

ing pin'being movable toward the capsule; l

and inFigs. Sand 4 I* represent 'firing pins 11 supported at theends of cylindrical bodies14, that are movable so' thatthey mayY carry the firing pins into engagement with by highly comlp'ressed fulminate" of ,rnercu-ry, A as herein'beforeset forth, it is feasiib-leandr to the explosive charge.

thel l compressed charges of' explosive, and

are sufficiently ponderous to givethe firing pins sufficient inertia to insure'f-their puncturing and detonatm-g` sucheharges. If such ya form of firing pin wereemployed'in an arrangement `like that shown in Fig. 1,r the fb-odyf 141 .carrying the' firingi pin yait its -for= wand end would be loaded into the plug 9: inplace of thecapsule 8, shown in Fig. 1.11

In view of the characteristics possessed safe to support a detonating charge thereof in immediate proximity to the booster charge of la lfuse, a practice that would be highly objectionable and dangerous, if fulminate of mercury in the form now usually employed in fuses were used.

In Fig. 6 I represent, in a diagrammatic and conventional manner, means for loading a capsule or container 8 with a charge of explosive 15. The capsule is a tubular container preferably formed of thin steel, cylindrical in shape and with one of its ends closed. Into this is compressed a charge of the explosive by means of a suitable press 16 adapted to give the desired Vcompression Due to the high compression to which the charge 15 is subjected, I am able to load very much more of the explosive into a container of a given size than has heretofore been possible. Heretofore fuses have been provided with movable deton'ating `capsules containing 18 grains of fulminate-this being considered an exceedingly large charge. In practising my invention I load 28 grains into a capsule of less size than that heretofore employed to carry 18 grains. The result is that not only are the dangers incident to the loading of the fuses and shells, and to the handling, storing and firing of the latter very greatly reduced, but the effectiveness of the detonating charge is greatly increased, due partly to the fact that it is feasible to use ya much larger charge thereof, and also to the fact that when such a charge is highly compressed, as I have described, it detonates with exceeding violence when it does detonate.

After thecharge 15 is compressed into the .capsule or container 8, the latter is removed from the lpress 16, and a cap or cover 1T is placed in the open end of the capsule, covering the charge, as represented in Fig. 7. This cap or cover is preferably formed. of some suitable, thin, soft metal, such as copper. vThe next step in the manufacture is to crimp the edges of the open end of the oalpsule over the cap 17, as represented at 18 in Fig. 8.

When the firing pin and the charge of colnpressed explosive come into cooperative relation to cause the detonation of the latter, the firing pin punctures the cap 17 and engages directly with the charge of com` pressed explosive. I amf'not able to positively state why an explosive, `such as fulminate of mercury, that is exceedingly sensitive under low compressions, but is highly inert under very high compressions, lmay be successfully and certainly detonated if punctured by a sharp `pin having'edges, while it will not be detonated if a cylindrical, round ended pin be employed.:l `The 'most 2plausible theory to me is"that the sharp end of the firing pin permits it to puncturethe mass of highly compressed explosive and therefore come into intimate engagement therewith, and the sharp inclined edges 12 of the pin, engaging directly with the particles of the compressed charge rupture them in such manner and under such conditions that detonation takes place.

Other explosives having characteristics more or less similar to fulminate of mercury, that is the property of being, under ordinary conditions and slight compression highly sensitive to flame, heat and shock, but which, when highly compressed, become relatively inert and hence safe to handle, such as lead azid and silver azid, copper azid, fulminate of gold, sulfo-cyanid of lead and fulininate of gold may be successfully detonated', when highly compressed, if treated in the manner herein described with par ticular reference to the use of fulminate of mercury.

In Fig. 9 I have shown the firing pin 11 as being round in cross' section, and its surface roughened as is the surface of a file, as indicated at 19, the edges of the facets serving to rupture the particles of compressed explosive when the pin is caused to penetrate such mass.

What I claim is:

1. The herein described processes of detonating a charge of explosive, which consists in compressing an explosive, that is highly sensitive to shock and heat when not compressed, to a very high degree, whereby it becomes relatively inert and safe to handle, forming this compressed explosive into a primer and puncturing such primer and rupturing the particles of the compressed explosive, whereby it is fired producing detonating waves of extreme violence.

2. As means for detonating a charge of explosive, a charge of an explosive that is highly sensitive to shock and heat when not compressed and which at a very ,high cemto handle, Compressed to a degree that renders it inert and safeto handle, and a firingpin adapted to engage directly with the said compressed explosive, having a sharp point that Will puncture such explosive, and having also edges. extending vfrom its pointed end toward its base.l

3. VIn a fuse, a container carryinga charge of an explosive that is highly sensitive to shock and heat When not compressed and which at a very high compression becomes relatively inert and safe to handle, compressed to a degree that renders it inertanol safe to handle, and a liring pin having a sharp point and edges extending fromv the point towardits base, 'arranged to penetrate the` oompressed explosive in the said container, the

said parts-the containercarrying the ex .plosive eharge and firing pin-belngprela- 4,tively movable toward each other.

4. As a means for detonating acharge of explosive, a mass of explosive that is highly sensitive to shock and heat When not com- Y pressed and which at a very high compres siony becomes relatively inert and safe to handle, compressed to a degree Ythat renders `it inert and safeto handle anda firing pin,

having a sharp pointfadapted to puncture sueh mass and having edges in rear of the point-adapted to rupture the 'particles of the lmass as the; pin is caused to enter the mass.

y g CHARLES RWM-son.

Copies of this patent may beyobtainred fprve cents each,ibyat1drressilng vthe fcommissioner of Patents.

' Washington, D. C. v .y Y Y 

